What is the Worth of a Life?
by Nyodrite
Summary: Being sent into the past is bad enough, Kakashi didn't expect to be sent into the past and reborn as his father's younger brother- knowing he had to go through puberty again was terrible but witnessing his father as a pre-pubescent was something that could never be unseen.


"Why are you wearing a mask?" Sakumo asked, frowning at his four year old brother.

Kama blinked up at the thirteen year old (it was terribly disconcerting to see the one whom had once been his _father_ as a teenager, though he was morbidly fascinated to see his once father go through puberty), "Maa...there's magic in the mystery?"

The teen stared for a second before shaking his head, "It doesn't really matter I guess. Now get on," Sakumo continued, crouching low and offering his back. "You're going to be late on your first day."

"Yes, _Tōsan_." He said, glad that he could pretend to be sarcastic whenever he slipped and called the other Tōsan, as he climbed onto the other's back.

Sakumo huffed a "Brat." before taking off at a run that was sped up even more by chakra being pushed into his feet.

The Academy was an _odd_ sight; far smaller then what he was used to seeing, there were a few decent sized buildings scattered in such a way they were rather isolated from what he remembered them to be like and, though the grounds definitely seemed larger, there were little more then a few wooden posts with targets attached to them.

It was oddly _disappointing_.

"Kama," His once father started seriously once he scrambled off, crouching to be eye level with him, "I will be back to pick you up once class lets out, alright? If, for any reason, you need me then just summon Akiyo and Toshiro will tell me, understand?"

He almost forgot to nod when he spied Minato-sensei, tiny and shy and utterly _adorable_- like a lost little puppy that one could help but want to comfort. It was disconcerting but not as much as it had been to see his father pre-pubescent. "Yes, Niisan. Can I _go_?"

"Yes but _try_ not to get into trouble?" Sakumo nearly pleaded.

Kama blinked at the teen, deliberately making his eyes seem wide and innocent, "Maa...would I get into trouble?"

"Just-" Really, it was _fun_ exasperating people. "Just _go_, Otouto."

He nodded, hugging the chūnin because the teen really does try and he truly appreciates that even if he won't say it aloud before darting towards where the newest class was being herded inside- deliberately setting his pace so that he fell in step besides his once sensei as he entered the building, offering the blond a smile through his mask. "Hi."

"'llo..." Chibi-Sensei mumbled in reply.

A lesser man (child? Man-child? Whatever the heck he was technically.) would have cooed over that but not him, he didn't do such things unless to annoy someone- thus Kama merely morphed his smile into a grin, "I'm Hatake Kama."

"Nam'kaze M'nato." Part of him wondered if it was normal for children to mispronounce things- he wasn't really a good example of normal children, regardless of the timeline- or if the blond was just shy enough that he couldn't properly enunciate.

Kama didn't mention that aloud, merely nodding before promising, "From here on, Namikaze Minato, you and I will be the best of friends."

Chibi-Sensei's eyes widened and he looked as if he didn't know how to respond to that before blinking, "'Kay."

"Everyone be seated!" A rather tall, thin breasted man ordered once the last of the stragglers made it into the classroom.

Grabbing Chibi-Sensei's wrist, Kama dragged his new friend (because he absolutely refused to miss the opportunity to be close to his Sensei even if the relationship was different then the first time) to a seat near the back, blinking curiously when Uchiha Mikoto (Itachi and Sasuke's mom) took the third seat, immediately ducking her head so that her hair created a curtain to hide her face. Which meant that he was now sandwiched between two shy four year olds.

The chūnin regarded them a moment before speaking, "I am Hirai Kano and I will be your instructor until you graduate, flunk or drop out of the Academy. You may call me Hirai-sensei or Sensei, understood?"

"Yes Sensei!" Some were more enthusiastic then others but the response was rather unanimous.

Hirai-sensei nodded in approval as he moved through the tables setting down two pieces of paper and a pencil for each person, "Now, since it's the first day I am going to have you write your name on both papers- on the first I want you to write three things you know about the village or being a shinobi or kunoichi. On the second I want you to write five things about you- it can be your dream, your hobbies, what you like or dislike."

Kama frowned to himself as he awkwardly gripped the box-like, eraser-less pencil and he very much missed the circular ones he had been accustomed to (even those newer 'mechanical' pencils would have been preferable to these) but resigned himself to using them- writing agonizingly slow in the hopes that his paper would be at least _passably_ legible. Out of the corner of his eyes he was his seatmates writing easily, if haltingly when they got confused over a character or spelling, and he stoutly refused to feel shame that, even with a lifetime of experience over them, he could hardly even write neater then normal four year olds.

_:Hatake Kama:_

_- Senju and Uchiha are the village's founding clans.  
>- Senju Hashirama was the first Hokage with his brother, Tobirama, being the second.<br>- Senju Tobirama created the ANBU Corps._

A quick glance showed that the two beside him had written similar- if worded differently- with the first and second Hokage being separated into their own points then he had to focus on what to write on his second paper.

_:Hatake Kama:_

_- My hobbies are reading and helping my clan in the fields or with the animals.  
>- I like my brother, Hatake Sakumo.<br>- I like salt broiled suary and miso soup with eggplants.  
>- I dislike anything fried or sweet.<br>- My dream is to-..._

He frowned once more as he thought; 'Protect his precious people' seemed to be something more suited to one older and having experienced loss while 'Change the Shinobi Rules' would come off as something almost treasonous in the current timeframe which was absolutely devote to them as a general populous. He needed something 'safe' and 'childish' to say, another glance showed him the dreams of being Hokage (Chibi-sensei) and being a great kunoichi like Uzumaki Mito (Mikoto), so 'grand' would also be part of the criteria.

_- My dream is to change the world._

There. Safe, grand, childish and not even a lie- he planned on changing how the shinobi world thought of shinobi and kunoichi in regards of being _people_ as opposed to _tools_.

"Now I want you to pass up both papers- each in their own stack." Hirai-sensei said, the class obeying readily enough (internally Kama winced when he realized that he had been the very last one to finish). The man continued once the task was complete, "I am going to hand you all a paper other then your own and you will each get to introduce one of your classmates, the ones whom are being introduced are to stand while you're being introduced."

Aware that whom ever was introducing him would likely have trouble reading his writing, Kama sank low into his seat- spying his seatmates doing the same when they realized they would have to stand before the class. His ears turned red as a Nara girl stumbled through reading his name and stood slowly, wishing he had a book to bury himself in as the girl continued stumbling trough reading his paper- hunching over when she asked the teacher to help her read a sentence because it wasn't legible.

It was somewhat worth it when he was able to sink back into his seat and both Chibi-sensei and Chibi-nēchan patted his back sympathetically- though he was hit with the sudden realization that he would be gong through puberty _again_.

* * *

><p>Today, Hatake Sakumo could say with certainty, was one of the most nerve-racking days he had ever had as soon as he had dropped his little brother off so he was pleased that it was over.<p>

"Kama!" He called as soon as he spied his little brother exiting the Academy.

The boy was with two children his age, a blond boy and a dark haired girl, whom he cheerfully dragged over to Sakumo and announcing grandly, "This is Hatake Sakumo, my Niisan."

As always, Sakumo felt his heart swell a bit with pride over what may be _the_ most important title he had ever been given- he was certainly more proud of being a _niisan_ over being a _chūnin_.

"Niisan," Kama continued in the same tone, "This is my best friend Namikaze Minato and my new nēchan, Uchiha Mikoto."

He felt a smile tug at his mouth at how embarrassed yet pleased the two kids were over their titles, Mikoto-chan even more so- evidently she had been unaware she had been given the title 'nēchan'. "It's nice to meet you Minato-kun, Mikoto-chan, I hope you take care of my Otouto when I am unable to."

"P'omis..." Minato-kun stated solemnly with Mikoto-chan nodding along.

Sakumo grinned at the two, "Thank you. We were going to go out to eat to celebrate Kama's first day, would either of you like to ask your parents to come?"

"Can't." Mikoto-chan stated abruptly, "Tōsan wants me home."

The girl left with that, hugging the two boys whom were slightly startled, and Minato-kun fidgeted over the attention they gave him, "I-...Kā'han 'spects me..."

"I will see you tomorrow, Minato." Kama told the blond whose shoulders slumped in relief as if the boy had expected to no longer be his brother's friend for not accepting the invitation and scurried off.

Sakumo swept his brother onto his shoulders, "Looks like it's just you and me, Kama?"

"_Greaaaat_..." His Otouto drew out dramatically.

He snorted, but his voice was fond when he spoke, "Brat."

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** So, this is _Worth of a Life_'s continuation which starts with the first day of the academy.

Who is Akiyo?  
>Kama's first ninken summon, as he is no longer <em>Kakashi<em> and has been born before Pakkun _anyways_, whom first made an appearance in _All That I Am_.


End file.
